The Love Story of Ninoy Aquino and Cory Cojuangco: The Luna Connection

Most of us know how Ninoy Aquino and Cory Cojuangco met and fell in love. But what really tickles my curiosity is how their marriage joined wealth and power from their ancestors. The common source – General Antonio Luna and the 1899 Philippine Revolution.

Closely-Related Family

Ninoy and Cory met when they were still nine years old. No love at first sight happened.

The two families were closely related to each other. Jose Cojuangco Sr, father of Cory was the godfather of Ninoy’s sister, Lupita Aquino.

The half-brother of Ninoy Aquino, Servillano Jr was married to Trinidad Cojuangco, second cousin of Cory. Trinidad is the daughter of Antonio Cojuangco Sr. Antonio Sr is the son of General Antonio Luna and Ysidra Cojuangco.

Trinidad, her father, one of her brothers and neighbors were massacred by the Japanese in the Second World War.

Ninoy had several women before Cory. One of them was Nida Blanca. He and Imelda Romualdez were also an item.

Ninoy met Imelda through Danieling Romualdez, cousin of Imelda. Danieling’s wife is Ninoy’s aunt, Paz Gueco. Imelda and Ninoy met during one of Paz’s family’s outing. Paz would ask Ninoy to escort Imelda on her way home from her job. They did not end up together.

Imelda once said that Ninoy courted her but dropped her like a hot potato when he met a rich girl. She was referring to Cory.

Whirlwind Romance

Ninoy and Cory met again a few years later. This was the time when Cory came back to the Philippines on a vacation as a junior college in the United States. After graduating from college, she came back to the Philipines and studied law at the Far Eastern University. This is when their love story started.

Serendipitous Car Accident

Ninoy and Cory went on a date tagging along her sister Josephine. A jeep hit a Buick convertible which Ninoy drove. This sent Cory and Josephine in the hospital overnight.

Ninoy faced Cory’s parents. Ninoy told Cory that the accident was meant for them to get married. “You fell from that car on purpose, to force me to marry you.’ My goodness!”

Cory’s parents immediately set the date on October 11, 1954, which was ten days away. Ninoy and Cory were both 21 years old then.

President Magsaysay acted as their principal sponsor.

Hacienda Luisita: The Wedding Connection

It was through Magsaysay that Cory’s father secured Hacienda Luisita in 1958. Magsaysay ordered the Central Bank and GSIS to secure the necessary dollar and peso loans to pay the estate.

Cojuangco: Wealth

Ysidra Cojuangco hid and possessed the revolutionary treasures that Antonio Luna, her lover, left for safe keeping. She adopted the four sons of her brother Melecio who died early. One of them was her biological son by Antonio Luna whom Melecio adopted to hide his real identity.

Cory Aquino is the great-granddaughter of Ysidra Cojuangco. She is the daughter of Jose Cojuangco Sr who is one of Ysidra’s nephews. Ysidra took care of her nephews and her real son. She left them with a huge inheritance.

Aquino: Politics

Servillano Aquino Sr. was revolutionary who trained under General Antonio Luna. Servillano’s loyalty belonged to Emilio Aguinaldo. He and Aguinaldo exiled in Hongkong with the 400,000 pesos paid to them by the Spanish government.

When General Antonio Luna was murdered, Servillano Aquino was one of the suspects. The revolutionary chest left by General Luna in their encampment disappeared. One of the suspects was a Tarlac revolutionary, Servillano Aquino. When Servillano retired from the revolution, he bought and put up several land and sugar estates in Tarlac.

Ninoy Aquino is the great grandson of Servillano Aquino. His father is Benigno Aquino Sr who was charged with treason by collaborating with the Japanese. Ninoy Aquino like his father was also charged with treason because of his collaboration with the CPP-NPA.

Ninoy and Cory had a perfect union of wealth and power. The path of their ancestors crossed so many times. Both of their great-grandparents have a curious connection to General Antonio Luna’s murder and the revolutionary treasures.

Today, Ninoy and Cory left a bloody and lasting legacy of the Hacienda Luisita, CPP-NPA, Sabah, the EDSA people power revolution, the attention-seeking Kris Aquino and, the vengeful, corrupt and inept Benigno Aquino III who is the current president of the Philippines until June 30 of this year.

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2 COMMENTS

Raisen E.
|
1st May 16

I can say its biten. Lol. This info can be lead to a fact one day. Thanks for your writing.